Dynamic science on the Stardust mission

Abstract

Radio Doppler and ranging data at X band (∼8.4 GHz), optical navigation data, and spacecraft attitude control data can be used to characterize the dust environment surrounding comet 81P/Wild 2 and possibly the mass and bulk density of its nucleus. As a secondary objective, a favorable solar conjunction prior to the cometary encounter on 2 January 2004 can be used to sound the Sun's corona at X band.